Chapter 113: Lord Li Chases Lin Chen Under the Moon (Seeking Subscriptions)

Cannot practice!

Lin Chen suddenly found that he didn't know what to do.

Coming to this world, he spent most of his time practicing.

At the beginning, it was to change his destiny.

From the moment he was first in the Martial Hall, he could be considered to have changed his destiny and achieved a small leap in class.

Later, when he entered the martial hall and experienced the Qing Feng Wuguan incident, although he didn't say it on the surface, how could he not be holding his breath in his heart?

Later, when he walked the path of extreme martial arts, for him, the Martial Way was not just about changing his destiny; he found that he had fallen in love with this feeling of practicing.

The relatively fair promotion channel of the Great Liang Dynasty allowed him to practice martial arts without distractions.

The Li Prefecture was grand, with carved dragons and painted beams, and lake and mountain scenery were all available.

But Lin Chen didn't intend to walk out of the courtyard. Noble families had many taboos, so he just stayed in the courtyard for the night.

Master Tai let the servant inform him that he was going out to visit friends. Lin Chen thought for a moment and entered the study on one side of the courtyard.

The Great Liang Dynasty didn't have the saying of civil examinations, but that didn't mean martial artists didn't read books; it's just that most martial artists wouldn't delve into it as deeply as the ancients in the previous life.

When he first went to the Master's wife's mansion, the landscape ink paintings hanging on the wall were extremely artistic.

People of this era, writing and painting, were more of a hobby.

A stack of calligraphy rubbings was piled on the desk. Lin Chen picked them up and flipped through them. He didn't understand calligraphy very well and belonged to the layman type. The handwriting of these rubbings looked excellent, but as he flipped to the next page, he forgot the previous one.

"Stone Soul Rubbing"

When he saw this rubbing, Lin Chen's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what font this was, but it actually made him fascinated.

The rock bones, how could they change because of wind and snow,

The cloud roots are planted towards the nine heavens.

Laughing at the peach and plum blossoms competing for spring,

Alone guarding the cold mountain for ten thousand years of white.

This was a poem, not very profound, and the words used were simple.

What attracted Lin Chen was the characters of this poem. Although he didn't understand calligraphy, for some reason, he felt very comfortable looking at these characters.

Grinding ink, picking up the brush.

Lin Chen picked up rice paper from the side and couldn't help but want to copy it.

The first time, it was very different from the original rubbing.

Frowning, he crumpled the rice paper into a ball and continued to copy it a second time.

……

……

Soon, the paper basket on the floor of the study was full of paper balls.

"Still lacking something."

"This brush is not right..."

On the original rubbing, the horizontal strokes were like broken cliffs and axe chops, exhausting the power of waving, penetrating three points.

Its vertical hook was like a green pine breaking through snow, vivid and thorough.

The right shoulder of the character "Stone" was deliberately raised by three points, forming the momentum of a lonely peak holding up the sky.

Too arrogant!

The brush tip is like a person!

Lin Chen thought of a sentence he saw about calligraphy in his previous life, and seeing his own copied handwriting, he knew why he couldn't copy it.

The senior who wrote the "Stone Soul Rubbing" had first-class arrogance and pride, and was also a lonely and arrogant person.

Although he had arrogance, he was different from him.

One can be arrogant, but not lonely.

Calligraphy doesn't necessarily have to be exactly the same.

This time, Lin Chen picked up the brush again. Compared to the extreme waving of the horizontal strokes of the original rubbing, he made some changes at the end of the stroke.

The horizontal strokes were like this, and the vertical hooks were the same.

Half an hour later, Lin Chen put down the brush and looked at the "Stone Soul Rubbing" he wrote. Although it was roughly similar to the original rubbing, it was completely different upon close inspection.

After copying to the end, Lin Chen was no longer limited to the "Stone Soul Rubbing" and began to copy other calligraphy rubbings.

But like the "Stone Soul Rubbing", what Lin Chen pursued was similarity in form but not in spirit.

This was also the first time Lin Chen discovered that the pleasure brought by copying calligraphy rubbings was the same as practicing martial arts.

When the brush fell, the Qi and blood in his body circulated with the brush, and every stroke was like breathing and exhaling for a cycle.

……

……

Next door courtyard.

The resentful sound of a jade flute arose. Wang Yuyao, in a moon-white ru skirt, leaned against the corridor, playing a green jade short flute. Li Qi and another woman sat on the side listening, their faces also showing sadness, immersed in it.

Expressing feelings through sound...

"This flute sounds too sad, I can't help but want to shed tears." Li Qi's eyes were slightly red.

"Yuyao suddenly arrived in Quzhou Prefecture, and I felt something was wrong. I think she encountered something. In a while, the two of us must comfort Yuyao."

……

Next door study, Lin Chen heard the flute sound and frowned.

Decadent music, disturbing people's hearts.

He didn't know who was playing the flute, but he could also perceive that the flute sound came from nearby.

This area was all Li Prefecture guest rooms. As a guest of the Li family, running to someone's house to play this kind of flute sound, wasn't this just being full and having nothing to do?

Putting down the brush in his hand, Lin Chen walked out of the study and was even more certain that the flute sound came from the next door courtyard.

"No noise is allowed in the Li family, so is it just targeting me?"

The flute sound lasted for a while and didn't stop. Lin Chen thought of the words of the Li Prefecture servant earlier and curled his lips.

Also, people are divided into different ranks, and guests are also divided into distinguished guests and ordinary guests.

He was an ordinary guest, so he naturally had to follow the Li Prefecture's rules. Next door might be distinguished guests, so these rules didn't count for anything.

"Sister Wang, did you encounter something?"

After a cup of tea, the flute sound stopped, and a voice came from the next door courtyard.

"Yuyao, is it related to that Young Master Qin..."

Hearing the voice from the next door courtyard, Lin Chen was stunned for a moment, turned around, and walked back to the study.

Eavesdropping can satisfy the curiosity of gossip, but Lin Chen was not interested in the privacy of strangers.

If he heard something too private, it might even bring him trouble.

Returning to the room, he continued to copy calligraphy rubbings.

Next door courtyard, Wang Yuyao looked at her two close friends, her face full of worry: "Qin Cheng already has someone in his heart, the falling flowers have intentions, but the flowing water has no feelings."

"How could this be?"

"Young Master Qin and Sister Yuyao, you are childhood sweethearts, and the Qin family and the Wang family of this generation will inevitably marry. Sister Yuyao, could it be that you made a mistake?"

"It can't be wrong, this is what Qin Cheng said himself, he already has someone he likes."

The two women were shocked. The Qin family and the Wang family were both famous noble families in Quzhou, and Yuyao and Qin Cheng were recognized childhood sweethearts. How could there be a change?

Just at this time, seeing Wang Yuyao about to explain the reason, Li Qi seemed to have thought of something: "Not appropriate, there is someone next door, let's not talk about these things first."

Whether it was the matter between Sister Wang and Qin Cheng, or the Wang family and the Qin family, if these things were spread out, it would inevitably cause a stir in Quzhou Prefecture.

Reminded by Li Qi, Wang Yuyao and the other woman also reacted, especially Wang Yuyao, whose face changed instantly: "Sister Qi, this matter cannot be spread out. If the Qin family knows, they will inevitably force Qin Cheng. I don't want Qin Cheng to be in a difficult position."

Seeing Wang Yuyao still protecting Qin Cheng at this time, Li Qi only felt that Sister Wang was really too kind.

"Hmm, let's go next door to see the situation."

Dong dong dong!

Lin Chen, who was just picking up the brush to write in the study, frowned when he heard the knocking. After walking out of the study, he found that the courtyard gate had been pushed open by someone again.

Lin Chen was a bit annoyed in his heart. The Li Prefecture servants were too arrogant.

Even if it was a noble family, there should be etiquette for treating guests.

He was staying here, and without getting his response, they pushed the door open without permission; this was already an extremely rude behavior.

Because of this, Lin Chen's face sank.

"Hey, were you eavesdropping on our conversation in the courtyard just now?"

Li Qi pushed open the courtyard gate and looked at Lin Chen standing in the courtyard with a sunken face. Her pretty face also turned cold. She had grown up so big, and no one had ever given her a cold face.

"No."

Seeing Li Qi and the three women, Lin Chen suppressed the annoyance in his heart. Lord Li's granddaughter, the Li family's eldest young lady, had a noble status and was not someone he could offend.

The other woman on the side looked at Lin Chen: "Have you been staying in this courtyard all along?"

"I was copying calligraphy rubbings in the study earlier, and I only came to the courtyard when I heard the movement."

Even if the other party's attitude was arrogant and casual, Lin Chen held the mentality of avoiding trouble and answered with a calm expression.

"Copying calligraphy rubbings? A martial artist like you copying calligraphy rubbings?"

Li Qi obviously didn't believe Lin Chen's words. A student of a small county martial hall, not even at the Organ Cultivation stage, would still copy calligraphy rubbings?

Martial artists below the Ranked Tier almost never touched these things. Even for her, her grandfather and father didn't let her touch calligraphy.

Li Qi strode in, directly passing Lin Chen and walking towards the study.

"Miss Li, although this is the Li Prefecture, I am staying in the guest room. Shouldn't the Li Prefecture also have etiquette for treating guests?"

A guest staying at the host's house, but even if it was the host, without the guest's permission, they shouldn't break into the guest's residence at will.

"Etiquette for treating guests?"

Li Qi paused: "You, a student of a county martial hall, if it weren't for the bond between the martial hall and my grandfather, you wouldn't have the chance to stay at my Li family in this life. I can go anywhere in the house I want."

Li Qi knew that her father had no good feelings for the Zhenyue Martial Hall, otherwise he wouldn't have refused to see the Master of the Zhenyue Martial Hall.

The Zhenyue Martial Hall was too ignorant, only knowing how to flatter her grandfather, and for so many years, they hadn't sent a single congratulatory gift for the happy events in the family.

Such a stingy guest, she didn't care for them.

After speaking, Li Qi walked towards the study. Lin Chen didn't stop her again. Li Qi was right about one thing: she was the Li family's eldest young lady, and she could go anywhere in the Li family.

In the study, Li Qi looked at the balls of waste paper in the paper basket, and then saw the calligraphy rubbing Lin Chen copied on the table. There was a look of surprise in her eyes. This person was really copying calligraphy rubbings in the study.

It's just that the characters were too ugly, and they were very different from the original rubbing. At a glance, it was obvious that he had never been in contact with calligraphy before.

Walking out of the study, Li Qi saw Lin Chen's sunken face and snorted lightly: "Whether you heard it or not, if anything spreads out, I won't let you off."

After Li Qi threw down this threatening sentence, she walked out of the courtyard, and Wang Qingyao and the other woman hadn't entered from beginning to end.

"Sister Wang, this person shouldn't be lying. I saw many waste papers in his study; he is really practicing calligraphy in the study."

Outside the courtyard gate, Li Qi's voice came. Lin Chen took a deep breath and turned back to his bedroom.

Noble families, unreachable.

Master Tai had told him about this trip, the purpose of which was to request guidance from Lord Li.

Lord Li was a Sixth Rank hard-body powerhouse. With his guidance, his chance of reaching perfection in the Iron Bone Art was extremely high, which could save him a lot of time.

But with the Li family's way of treating guests, he no longer looked forward to the guidance of that old Lord Li.

A person can have no arrogance, but cannot have no backbone.

If he still shamelessly stayed at the Li family, even if the old Lord Li returned and fulfilled this favor, his thoughts would not be smooth.

A martial artist from a humble background should seize every opportunity to climb up, but also have things he firmly guards.

Otherwise, he would only become a villain who uses any means for the sake of the Martial Way stage.

The old man had the grace of guidance, and the young one had the hatred of humiliation.

How should he treat the Li family?

……

……

Li Prefecture main gate.

Lin Chen waited more than ten feet away from the Li Prefecture main gate. Half an hour later, Master Tai's figure appeared in his line of sight.

"Lin Chen, what's going on?"

Master Tai, as an Organ Cultivation martial artist, naturally saw Lin Chen at the first moment. When he saw Lin Chen carrying a bundle on his shoulder, he asked in a deep voice.

"Master Tai, the student thanks you for your great kindness, but the Li family is a noble family, not something a student from a humble background like me can climb up to. This bond between the martial hall and that Lord Li should be left for the younger junior brothers."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Master Tai looked deeply at Lin Chen twice. He didn't see anger on Lin Chen's face, but he saw firmness.

Master Tai didn't know what Lin Chen had encountered in the hour or so he had left the Li Prefecture, but based on his understanding of Lin Chen, Lin Chen was definitely not the kind of person with a narrow mind, nor was he the kind of pampered child who couldn't take a little grievance.

The Qing Feng Wuguan looked down on Lin Chen so much, but in the end, Lin Chen still joined the Qing Feng Wuguan.

The Qing Feng Wuguan gave up on Lin Chen for the second time, and after winning first place in the martial competition, Lin Chen never said a bad word about the Qing Feng Wuguan.

Whether in public or in private.

There are no secrets in this world that don't leak. Even if it's private words, as long as others hear them, they will always be spread.

Facing the contempt of the Qing Feng Wuguan, Lin Chen proved himself with the first place in the Eight Great Martial Halls.

This was a young man with backbone in his heart.

This was also one of the reasons why he was willing to use this extremely precious bond between the Zhenyue Martial Hall and Lord Li for Lin Chen.

He thought highly of Lin Chen's future.

"This Master understands. Since that's the case, you wait for a moment, and this Master will go with you."

"Master Tai..."

Lin Chen was surprised. He thought about leaving the Li Prefecture himself, not wanting Master Tai to leave as well. After all, for the Zhenyue Martial Hall, this bond with Lord Li was extremely precious and had been maintained for decades; it shouldn't be given up like this.

"Lord Li is not that kind of narrow-minded person. Since Lord Li is not here, it's normal for us to leave."

Master Tai patted Lin Chen on the shoulder and comforted him.

The Li family, although a noble family, in his view, after Lord Li, the next generation Li An didn't even have one-tenth of Lord Li's style.

If it weren't for this, it wouldn't be possible to be just a Ninth Rank until now.

The Li family has no successors.

……

……

Half an hour later, two fast horses left the city.

An hour later, a carriage entered the city quickly and headed straight for the Li Prefecture.

The carriage stopped at the Li Prefecture main gate, and an old man got off the carriage.

The old man's eye sockets were sunken like an ancient well, but his pupils were terrifyingly clear. When the old man raised his eyes and swept across the mansion gate, none of the Li Prefecture servants who went up to meet him dared to look the old man in the eye.

"Father is back?"

Li An, who received the report from the servant, had a look of surprise on his face. Logically speaking, his father went to the villa to meet friends and should have stayed for at least one night, returning at the earliest tomorrow.

As soon as the old man entered the mansion, Li An came to meet him from the backyard.

"Father, why didn't you stay at the villa for the night before coming back?"

"Haha, you sent someone to send a message that someone from the Zhenyue Martial Hall came to the mansion. How could I stay?"

Li Yueshan laughed loudly. He had been waiting for this day for a long time.

"Take me to see Master Tai."

"Father, how can I let you go see them? I'll let the steward go and summon the two of them."

Li An couldn't understand why his father was so excited.

"That's fine, then invite Master Tai and that young man over."

After Li Yueshan finished giving orders, seeing his son's puzzled eyes, he sighed in his heart. He only cared about pursuing breakthroughs in the Martial Way when he was young and neglected the cultivation of An'er. An'er was not a qualified candidate for the head of the Li family.

"You should know about the matter between me and the Zhenyue Martial Hall."

"Hmm, Father studied martial arts at the Zhenyue Martial Hall for a year when he was young and has a bond with the Zhenyue Martial Hall."

"Then do you know why the Zhenyue Martial Hall has only visited me all these years and never gotten close to other people in the Li family?"

Li An was stunned. What he thought in his heart was naturally that those Masters of the Zhenyue Martial Hall were too stingy, or rather, they looked down on people and only thought about flattering his father.

It's just that these words couldn't be spoken out loud.

No one knows a son better than a father. Seeing his son's silence, Li Yueshan knew his son's thoughts and his expression became serious: "The reason why the Zhenyue Martial Hall has only visited me every time they come is because they know that although the martial hall and I have a bond, it's not very deep. After all, I only stayed at the martial hall for a year, and I didn't even enter the Zhenyue Martial Hall's student roster."

Li Yueshan recalled his youth. When he went to the Zhenyue Martial Hall, he relied on the relationship of a Ninth Rank senior in Quzhou at that time, and that senior happened to be the Director of the Poyang County Wuzheng Office.

"This bond can only be used once. If the Masters of the Zhenyue Martial Hall had socialized with my Li family members, it would be equivalent to using up this bond. After all, if it weren't for this bond, they wouldn't have had the chance to socialize with you all at all."

"I and the Masters of the Zhenyue Martial Hall all know it in our hearts. Don't be stupid enough to think that the Zhenyue Martial Hall really can't afford a few congratulatory gifts."

Seeing his son's thoughtful look, Li Yueshan's face looked a little better. Although his son's martial arts talent was not good and his character was relatively soft, softness had its advantages, which was that he could listen to words.

"This bond is extremely precious to the Zhenyue Martial Hall and will never be used easily. Since Master Tai brought a young man this time, he must be the most promising student of the Zhenyue Martial Hall in more than ten years. Naturally, I have to see him."

There was one thing Li Yueshan didn't say, leaving face for his son.

After he grew old, his son wouldn't be able to support the Li family. The Zhenyue Martial Hall brought a talented student, and he would guide the other party, which was him repaying the Zhenyue Martial Hall's bond.

For that young man, it would be owing the Li family a favor. If this young man could reach a high place in the Martial Way in the future, with this guidance, if the Li family encountered trouble, the other party wouldn't stand by.

……

……

A cup of tea time passed.

Li Yueshan's face was as heavy as water, and Li An behind him was pale, while Li Qi was on the verge of tears.

Master Tai and the other one were gone!

Li An didn't know about this before, and only when he sent a servant to invite them did he know that Master Tai and that young man had already left the mansion.

Master Tai didn't leave without saying goodbye; he gave instructions to the servant outside the courtyard gate before leaving, but because his daughter was directing the servants to have a barbecue in the courtyard, the servant didn't inform them at the first moment.

"Grandfather, I was just afraid that he would hear the conversation between Sister Wang and us, so I went into his study to confirm, and I didn't mean to drive him away."

Li Qi had never seen her grandfather, who loved her so much, be so angry at her.

It was just a student of a martial hall in a small county town, and she didn't bully him. Who knew that this person couldn't even take such a little bit of anger and just left like that? It was truly impolite.

Li Yueshan didn't say a word, entered the courtyard where Lin Chen lived, and headed straight for the study.

"Grandfather, this person's handwriting is also ugly, and he still has the nerve to copy your calligraphy rubbing."

"Shut up, you idiot, you've truly been spoiled by your father!"

Holding a calligraphy rubbing, Li Yueshan could no longer hold back and roared, making the whole study shake.

"Father!"

Seeing his beloved daughter being scolded, Li An couldn't help but want to argue.

"And you... you are truly going to be the death of me."

Li Yueshan pointed his finger at the calligraphy rubbing in his hand: "This 'Stone Soul Rubbing' was written when I entered the Seventh Rank. I was not yet forty and entered the Sixth Rank realm, and my hard-body techniques reached the limit-breaking stage. How high-spirited I was, thinking that there was no one in the world who could compare with me."

"Handwriting is like a person, handwriting shows their nature."

"This 'Stone Soul Rubbing', ordinary people can't see the essence contained in it. Only martial artists with hard-body techniques, and who have an extremely deep understanding of hard-body techniques, can see the hard-body artistic conception in this calligraphy rubbing."

Li Yueshan pointed his finger at the handwriting where the ink hadn't completely dried: "You idiot, you think it's not like it, that's because when I wrote it, I was arrogant in my heart, but the person's ending stroke reveals sharpness without breaking, and the end returns to the front like a spear tip trembling. Even I can't compare to this state of mind."

Li An and Li Qi, father and daughter, looked at each other, with disbelief in their eyes.

How old was that young man? How could he be more powerful than Father (Grandfather)?

Li Yueshan sighed in his heart. If he had this state of mind when he was forty, he wouldn't have stopped at the Sixth Rank in the end. Fifth Rank or even higher might not have been impossible.

"Follow me!"

Li Yueshan put down the calligraphy rubbing and walked towards the door with a livid face.

"Father, where are we going?"

"Go and chase them back."

"Chase them back?"

Li An couldn't believe it. Master Tai and the other one had been gone for two hours. How long would it take to chase them?

"Father, it's late now. How about I go and chase that person back tomorrow?"

"Someone whose brush reveals sharpness without being too rigid, how could they be someone without backbone? If you go to chase, you can't chase back anything. I will go personally, and you two follow, especially..."

Li Yueshan took a deep breath and looked at his granddaughter: "Qi'er, Grandfather's words just now might have been heavy, but this young man's future is so vast that even Grandfather can't imagine it. Establishing a bond with him can protect my Li family for the next twenty years. Your father can't support the huge Li family."

After these words were spoken, Li An's face was a bit ugly, but he also knew that what his father said was a fact. Although he was a bit uncomfortable, he could accept it.

"Grandfather, Qi'er understands. After chasing that person back in a while, Qi'er will apologize to him."

PS: Six thousand words presented. Today's ten thousand words are completed again. I checked the monthly tickets. Damn, there are really a lot of tickets at the end of the month. We might be able to hit six thousand tickets. Are there any more?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 114 =====